How do we know God's grace is given and not earned?
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Scripture consistently teaches that God's grace is unmerited and that we cannot demand it, as seen in the examples from Esther and the leper.
The assurance that God's grace is given, rather than earned, is woven throughout scripture. Esther's plea to the king, ‘If it please the king,’ signifies her acknowledgment that she could not make demands on the king’s favor. Similarly, the leper in Matthew 8 acknowledges Christ's sovereign ability to heal him, praying, 'If thou wilt.' This reflects what we see in Ephesians 1:4-5, where we learn that we are chosen in Christ according to the purpose of His will, highlighting that grace is fundamentally a gift bestowed upon us based on God's sovereign choice rather than our own merit.
Scripture References:
Ephesians 1:4-5, Matthew 8:2-3, Esther 8:5
Commentary